Investigators have sought clues in July disappearance

Published: Monday, September 9, 2013 at 11:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, September 9, 2013 at 11:37 p.m.

Forensic investigators will determine whether a body found by hunters Sept. 7 is a man who has been missing since July.

Homicide investigators charged Alexius Foster with the murder of Antonio Williams last month. Witnesses said they saw Foster shoot Williams and steal his car from a location in Holt.

Dove hunters called 911 Sept. 7 after finding skeletal remains on property on Joe Mallisham Parkway, just off Interstate 20/59. Forensic test results confirming the identity of the victim are expected within the next few days, said Sgt. Dale Phillips, Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit commander.

“If these are the remains of Antonio Williams, that would be a huge breakthrough in this case,” Phillips said.

One breakthrough in the case came last Tuesday, when Williams' 1995 Ford Crown Victoria was found near a housing project close to Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.

Investigators recovered evidence from the vehicle, Phillips said.

Williams, 30, was last seen in Holt on July 17.

Phillips would not say whether any other items were found in the wooded area beside a field, about 300 to 400 feet off Joe Mallisham Parkway.

He said that the forensic investigators are also testing whether the body could be a man who was reported missing from the Holt area on July 1. But that man is older than the estimated late 20s to early 30s of the person found Sept. 7.

It's unusual when investigators charged a suspect with murder before finding a body, like investigators did when they charged Foster with Williams' death in August.

Investigators sought Foster for questioning in June, after his uncle, George Foster Jr., 76, was found dead at his home near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 20th Street.

Authorities said they believed that Alexius Foster knew something about his uncle's murder because he had been in the area the previous night.

Police released his photo to the media, asking for information about his whereabouts.

Alexius Foster was eventually located and interviewed, when he told officers that he had avoided them because of an outstanding unrelated misdemeanor warrant.

According to court documents, Alexius Foster believed that Williams is the person who told investigators where he was.

Phillips called Foster a “person of interest” in his uncle's homicide, but stopped short of calling him a suspect.

“He is under investigation in other cases and could have charges pending,” Phillips said.

Foster has been held at the Tuscaloosa County Jail on $1 million bond. He “vehemently denies the accusations in this case,” defense attorney Steven Money wrote in a bond reduction request filed last month.

<p>Forensic investigators will determine whether a body found by hunters Sept. 7 is a man who has been missing since July.</p><p>Homicide investigators charged Alexius Foster with the murder of Antonio Williams last month. Witnesses said they saw Foster shoot Williams and steal his car from a location in Holt. </p><p>Dove hunters called 911 Sept. 7 after finding skeletal remains on property on Joe Mallisham Parkway, just off Interstate 20/59. Forensic test results confirming the identity of the victim are expected within the next few days, said Sgt. Dale Phillips, Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit commander.</p><p>“If these are the remains of Antonio Williams, that would be a huge breakthrough in this case,” Phillips said.</p><p>One breakthrough in the case came last Tuesday, when Williams' 1995 Ford Crown Victoria was found near a housing project close to Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham. </p><p>Investigators recovered evidence from the vehicle, Phillips said.</p><p>Williams, 30, was last seen in Holt on July 17.</p><p>Phillips would not say whether any other items were found in the wooded area beside a field, about 300 to 400 feet off Joe Mallisham Parkway.</p><p>He said that the forensic investigators are also testing whether the body could be a man who was reported missing from the Holt area on July 1. But that man is older than the estimated late 20s to early 30s of the person found Sept. 7.</p><p>It's unusual when investigators charged a suspect with murder before finding a body, like investigators did when they charged Foster with Williams' death in August.</p><p>Investigators sought Foster for questioning in June, after his uncle, George Foster Jr., 76, was found dead at his home near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 20th Street. </p><p>Authorities said they believed that Alexius Foster knew something about his uncle's murder because he had been in the area the previous night. </p><p>Police released his photo to the media, asking for information about his whereabouts.</p><p>Alexius Foster was eventually located and interviewed, when he told officers that he had avoided them because of an outstanding unrelated misdemeanor warrant. </p><p>According to court documents, Alexius Foster believed that Williams is the person who told investigators where he was.</p><p>Phillips called Foster a “person of interest” in his uncle's homicide, but stopped short of calling him a suspect.</p><p>“He is under investigation in other cases and could have charges pending,” Phillips said.</p><p>Foster has been held at the Tuscaloosa County Jail on $1 million bond. He “vehemently denies the accusations in this case,” defense attorney Steven Money wrote in a bond reduction request filed last month.</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.</p>